Thursday, March 15, 2012

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood -- not even from each other.

The three Cahill sisters are witches, and only one mistake away from revealing themselves as such to society and the Brotherhood. Cate, our narrator, tries to keep her sisters safe and out of the public eye, but it can be tricky when her younger siblings seem to enjoy flaunting their magic for fun. Spotswood's writing excels with the Cahill sisters and their relationships with one another, and with the mysteries in the story. Each scene springs to life, and intriguing characters make this story all the more fascinating. Born Wicked is a wonderful debut with a surprising conclusion that will undoubtedly leave readers breathless and curious about the sequel.

Highlights: One very intriguing twist at the end. The world Cate lives in seemed wonderfully developed alternate setting. Many characters (the Cahill sisters, Finn, Elena, Sachi, and Rory) in this story were intriguing enough to keep me invested in the story. The tension in the story - romantic tension, fearful tension - also made it difficult to stop reading.

Lowlights: Slow start.Almost entirely predictable1, and the romance seemed a bit rushed (but I did like the guy, so it didn't bother me too much).

Rating:

1 I tend to unravel how a book will end very early on. So, other people might find certain aspects more surprising than I did.

I just read this one, and I must agree that it starts very slowly. I'm usually oblivious to how books end, but I felt this one was a bit predictable with the sacrifice and all that. But nonetheless, it was still an entertaining and intriguing read!

I'm really glad you enjoyed this book Lea :) !! I'm not that much into witches books but I've only heard positive things about this one so far .. Finn is said to be very swoon worthy too :)!! I'm a bit like you actually and I tend to guess what's going to happen most of the time when I read a book .. but that doesn't bother me that much so I guess that's okay :) !! Thanks for the fabulous review !!

Good to know about the slow start, now it won't bother me as much when I give it a try! I've heard this one has a whopper of an ending too, so I'm a bit hesitant to pick it up. I may wait until the next book is set to release and then I won't stress myself out with the wait:) Glad you enjoyed it Lea!

For me, Born Wicked's only downfall, and it's minor, is the somewhat predictability of the plot. But overall, it's just as you said. Intriguing twists, awesome characters, and how can you NOT like the guy? :D

"I tend to unravel how a book will end very early on. So, other people might find certain aspects more surprising than I did."

You and I are a lot alike in this aspect! I seem to have an uncanny knack to figure things out early on as well, with both books and TV. Sometimes I wish I was a little more clueless, because I think I would enjoy some things better that way! Lol.